Here Comes the National Internet

I first heard about the concept of a national Internet over a decade ago while visiting the offices of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and discussing threats to the Internet. It was apparent then and it is apparent now that most countries, including the U.S., will eventually shut down the "World Wide" Web and instead use the technologies developed by the Internet community to cocoon itself. It solves endless political problems with the Web that plague almost every country.

Again, I include the U.S. in this movement, since we, as a country, are obviously trying to rein in and control the Internet. All you need to do is to look at the outrageous Congressional support for onerous Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

As reported today, Iran is openly discussing a national Internet with no access to the outside world. The regime is so freaked out that people might actually use the Internet to discover the truth about its situation that it is requiring that all Internet cafés to have security cameras within the next 15 days, in order to identify all users. According to The Wall Street Journal, most Iranians already think their home computers are compromised.

Belarus is another country overly concerned about the free flow of information and adopting the national Internet idea. Many countries, including China and Saudi Arabia, have massive filters that they use to block unwanted sites. Even those as advanced as South Korea do this. How do I know that? My own blog is blocked by many of the ISPs in South Korea, for no good reason. It's amazing how many sites are already blocked all over the world. It's just going to be easier to set up government control and license national Internets. It's just too obvious.

Of course, there will be some ways to navigate in and out of the national Internets, but these routes will only be maneuvered by government officials and a few lone wolves who will be illegally hacking and eventually arrested.

And, yes, it will happen here. Why not? Who is going to complain about it? You'll still be able to buy stuff on Amazon and shop online at B&H. You'll still read The New York Times. Some overseas operations such as London's Times might be licensed to operate here, too. The differences will be minor. All that you'll be missing are a few foreign blogs, perhaps, and other seemingly inconsequential sites.

Or so it will seem. Eventually, sites that oppose the government in any way will be taken down without any sort of due process. You can see this coming down Broadway.

The aforementioned SOPA completely eliminates due process from site takedown orders. In the future, all sites will be subject to immediate takedown orders. You can count on it. You can just see this trend moving forward with very little resistance. Nobody, especially in the U.S., wants to face the political implications of any of this. We just trust our officials to an extreme. We vote them into office based on their ironclad promises then immediately forgive them for not following through on the promises. This just encourages and attracts deceit.

Watch over the next few years as the idea of a national Internet evolves from a tool used to suppress opposition to a good idea whose time has come. Yes, this will be sold as a great new idea!

It will be the way we can protect ourselves from alien sites that recruit homegrown terrorists and bomb makers. It will stop offshore piracy websites from ruining our movie and record industry. It will block international child porn rings from making roads into our nation. It will keep al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan from easily communicating with the terrorist cells in the U.S., probably preventing another 9/11. It's a clear winner.

It will also have other benefits. It will protect the nation from spying Chinese eyes. It might prevent the cyber war that everyone is fretting about. If it is a closed system, then any attack has to take place from within and that's easier to catch. I'm telling you, I can explain for days why this is a great idea. I'm almost convincing myself.

I can assure you that it will take very little effort to convince Congress and the public that a national Internet in the U.S. is brilliant. Then, see what happens next. Complete government control. You won't like it, but it will be too late.

John Dvorak is a columnist for PCMag.com and the host of the weekly TV video podcast CrankyGeeks. His work is licensed around the world. Previously a columnist for Forbes, Forbes Digital, PC World, Barrons, MacUser, PC/Computing, Smart Business and other magazines and newspapers. Former editor and consulting editor for Infoworld. Has appeared in the New York Times, LA Times, Philadelphia Enquirer, SF Examiner, Vancouver Sun. Was on the start-up team for CNet TV as well as ZDTV. At ZDTV (and TechTV) was host of Silicon...
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